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Non Medical Use of Prescription Drugs October 2016

1.
Nonmedical Use of Prescription
Drugs (NMUPD)
Betsy Jones, MPA, APS
Coalition Coordinator Partnership for Success Grant
Circles of San Antonio Community Coalition
San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
www.circlesofsa.org
210-225-4741

2.
The Growing Problem
• The US has 4.6% of the world’s
population, and we consume 80%
of the world’s opioids. 83% of the
world has no access to these
drugs.
• In 1997, drug distribution was the
equivalent of 96 mg of morphine
per person. In 2007, it was >700
mg per person, an increase of over
600%.

3.
The Growing Problem
• The demographic most likely to die from Rx misuse is adults, 45-65.
• More pain
• More diagnosed mental health issues
• More access to prescriptions
• More types = more danger of fatal combinations
• 1 in 15 adults and teens who take Rx drugs without a prescription will
try heroin within 10 years.
• According to cdc.gov, over 28,000 people died in 2014 as a result of
opioid use, and at least half of those deaths involved prescription
painkillers.
• Over 20% of Americans have used prescription drugs for nonmedical
reasons.

5.
• They belong to someone else.
• They are taken in a way the doctor didn’t recommend, or
for a different reason.
• They are taken to get high.
Three ways prescription drugs are abused:

6.
Myths
• Prescription drugs are safe because they’re legal
• It’s okay to share if…
• It’s only once in a while
• They don’t need it anymore
• I take it for the prescribed reason
• It was prescribed for me in the past

9.
Universal Precautions
• Take only as prescribed.
• Do not share. (Sharing is not caring!)
• Do not hoard.
• Lock them up, even if you live alone.
• 40% of houseguests admit to snooping
• 50% of those arrested for burglary say
they are on the lookout for Rx drugs when
they break into a home.

13.
How effective are opioids?
• Studies have found that opiate pain relievers are often no more
effective than ibuprofen or acetaminophen-based painkillers.
• In prescriber surveys, however, doctors answer overwhelmingly that
they believe opioids are the most effective way to relieve pain.
• Opioids affect the emotional aspect of pain more than the physical
and we must develop a healthy respect for that if we are to use them
effectively.

14.
Prescriber Knowledge
• The average medical school provides
9 hours of education on pain, and
negligible education on addiction or
opioids.
• 40-60% of people with back pain will
receive a prescription for opioids at
some point, even though--
• The American Academy of Neurology
recommends AGAINST using opioids
for back pain.

17.
Withdrawal: after longer periods
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Craving opioids
• More pain
• No “life motivation”
• Only motivation is to get the drug
• Drug use is the only activity that can stimulate the dopamine and give
them pleasure